With 2024 seeing me hit the 50-year mark in the rail industry, I make no apologies for this latest blog, which focuses on a recent trip I made on the marvellous Midland ‘Blue’ Pullman to celebrate that particular milestone with my wife Ann.
Even before actually joining the railway in 1974, the fascination had already taken a grip, with a favourite childhood memory being of my first model train – a Tri-ang Blue Pullman. Operated by British Rail from 1960 to 1973, with the intention (with varying degrees of success) to create luxury diesel express trains aimed at competing with the car and emerging domestic air travel market, the original Blue Pullmans had always captured my imagination. Sadly, none of them made it into preservation, with the last one doing a farewell tour in 1973 – the year before I started my career, when I got to experience the thrill of working on a full size train set!
After being consigned to history, you can imagine my delight when, on a regular visit through Crewe, I spied a ‘new’ Blue Pullman train emerging carriage by carriage from the workshops. Whilst this time powered by refurbished HST units, the ‘new’ train still captures the essence of the original Pullman, resplendent in its blue livery, with the carriages replicating some of the original features. So when I received an email promoting the opportunity to ride the Midland Pullman from Burton-on-Trent to Whitby earlier this month (March), it wasn’t a difficult decision to book a ‘busman’s holiday’– particularly with it being a milestone year. It was also the ideal opportunity for my wife Ann to experience the magic of the Pullman, seeing for herself the genesis of my fascination with rail.
But did it live up to expectations? Silly question!!! The trip was amazing, with fantastic food, an onboard crew at the top of their game and to complete a magical day, lovely weather as we strolled around Whitby. The train itself faithfully replicates the colour and slick style of the original, including the Pullman logo on the nose of the power cars – it’s fitting that the new train features the refurbished HSTs, as you could argue the HST is a direct result of British Rail’s first venture into a twin power car fixed formation train set.
If, like me, the Blue Pullman holds a fascination for you, charity the Railway Children will be giving people the chance to experience it for themselves, running a special trip in conjunction with the Midland Pullman on Thursday 9th May. Departing London Paddington at 6pm, the trip takes in the beautiful countryside of Bath, Reading, Newbury and Bradford on Avon, with all money raised from the event helping to fund the work of Railway Children as it supports children alone and at risk on streets and at transport hubs across India, Tanzania and the UK. For further information, please visit the Railway Children Charity website
